Suction nozzle for cleaning apparatus



April 7, 1959 o. MULLER 2,880,446

sucnon NOZZLE FOR CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Feb. '10, 1954 Fig. 30 Fig. 3b

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o rro N04? United States Patent SUCTION NOZZLE FOR CLEANING APPARATUS Otto Miiller, Itingen, Baselland, Switzerland, assignor to Tornado A.G., Basel, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Application February 10, 1954, Serial No. 409,412

Claims priority, application Switzerland November 13, 1953 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-373) The present invention relates to a suction nozzle for suction tubes of dust removal apparatus, and in particular to suction nozzles of the type used for the removal of dust and dirt from flat surfaces such as floors, carpets and the like by means of vacuum cleaners of any design.

Suction nozzles of various types of construction are known, and are usually designed to be slipped onto the suction tube of vacuum cleaners, being often provided with brushes along the edges thereof for the purpose of improving efficiency. The use of brushes on such suction nozzles is based on the fact that the suction effect of the nozzle, e.g. when used on carpets, is not strong enough to remove dust and dirt of large particle size, or thread pieces or similar elongated material from the depth of the fabric, unless unusually great suction power is applied. The brushes presently employed for such suction nozzles, however, only partially achieve their purpose, since there is no assurance that the material loosened by the brush will actually be collected and removed by the suction nozzle.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide means improving the efliciency of cleaning apparatus employing suction power.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means facilitating the removal of dust and dirt which is deeply imbedded in a surface being cleaned by apparatus employing suction power.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide means affording the removal by cleaning apparatus employing suction power, of dust and dirt of large particle size and elongated material such as thread pieces.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a suction nozzle according to the present invention, said noz zle being shown in inoperative position relative to a surface to be cleaned, an alternative, operative position being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the nozzle shown in Fig. 1, partly broken away;

Fig. 3a is a front elevation of one form of tool which can be employed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3b is a sectional view of the tool of Fig. 30;

Fig. 3c is a front elevation of another form of tool which can be employed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3d is a side elevation of the tool of Fig. 30;

Fig. Be is a front elevation of yet another form of tool which can be employed in accordance with the invention, and

Fig. 3] is a side elevation of the tool of Fig. 3e.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a suction ice nozzle is shown having a socket member 1 adapted at its upper end for attachment with a suction device, such as the suction tube of a vacuum cleaner. Socket member 1 is connected to a plate member 2 of a elongated oval or rectangular shape. A head 3 extends along the edges of said plate member and projects downwardly to provide a suction chamber 4, and to engage surface 5 to be cleaned. The suction chamber 4 communicates with the interior 8 of the member 1 through an opening or passageway defined by the lips 6 and 7. The walls of the member immediately adjacent said lips curve toward one another about a common axis.

The plate 2 and the member 1 are connected for pivoting of the latter about the common axis from one position, in which it is almost vertical, into the position designated at 1' by broken lines, in which it is nearly horizontal.

For this purpose the tubular sections 9 and 10 are provided, projecting from the respective sides of the lower end of the member 1 and extending respectively to the side walls 11 and 12 of a recess in the plate cap 13 to form an airtight joint.

The lower end of the member 1 is provided with a mouth piece guided by the curved wall portions of the plate member 2 adjacent the lips 6 and 7, and airtightness is assured by suitable gaskets 14 and 15 of a material such as rubber. Accordingly, the lower portions 16 and 17 of the wall of the member 1 are curved concentrically with the axis of the joint, being movable along the said curved wall portions of the plate member 2, and forming a mouth opening into the suction chamber 4.

A tool or agitating element 18, such as a comb with a plurality of teeth 19 as illustrated in Figs. 3aand 3b, is arranged at the outer end of the wall portion 17, which tool projects into the passageway between lips 6 and 7 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the curved wall portion 17. In the raised position of the socket member 1 as shown in Fig. 1, the wall portion 17 lies withdrawn from and adjacent the passageway, and the tool 18 engages the lip 7 of the plate member. When the member 1 is moved into the lowered position 1', its wall portion 17 with the tool 18 rotates clockwise around the axis of the joint, and the tool assumes its operative position indicated at 18', in which its teeth 19 just contact the surface 5 to be cleaned. At the same time, however, the passageway between suction chamber 4 and the interior 8 of the suction tube 1 is narrowed, being defined in this position by the lip 6 of the plate member 2 and by the tool 18, respectively. This narrowing of the passageway causes an increase in the suction effect produced so that as a result, not only ordinary dirt and dust raised from the surface 5 by the tool 18, but also large particles and thread-like material engaged by the tool will be positively removed by suction. In normal operation of the suction nozzle, e.g. on a broom-type domestic vacuum cleaner, the plate member 2 is reciprocated on the surface 5 in the direction of the arrow 20.

It is evident that the comb type of tool 18 illustrated in Figs. 3a and 3b may be replaced by another type; e.g., a brush of the type shown in Figs. 3c and 3d, or a rubber scraper as illustrated in Figs. 3e and 3f. While the manner of attachment of the tool as shown in Fig. 1 is preferred, the present invention is not limited thereto. Other suitable mechanical means may be employed. Moreover, several such tools may be provided.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A suction nozzle for use in connection with a vacuum cleaner for treating a floor, fabric and like surface; comprising a first member having a bottom face adapted to engage said surface to be cleaned, said bottom face being provided with a recess forming a suction chamber, guide means on said first member and terminating in spaced lips, a passageway in communication with said suction chamber, a second member having first and second ends, said first end being adapted for connection with said vacuum cleaner, said. second end forming a mouth piece and having a wall conformed to said guide means of said first member and coupled with the latter for movement relative thereto, and an agitating element connected to said mouth piece wall and extending therefrom into said suction chamber, said mouth piece wall being rotatable along said guide means of said first member between a first position and a second position, said passageway being defined by a stationary wall formed by one of said lips and by said element, said element in said first position abutting against the other of said lips and being located remote from said surface to be cleaned and being rotatable together with said mouth piece wall forwardly of the other lip and towards said one lip downwardly to said second position, in which said element extends into said suction chamber in contact with said surface to be cleaned, thereby increasing the suction effect and narrowing said passageway between said stationary wall and said element in said second position.

2. A suction nozzle in accordance with claim 1 in which said element extends substantially perpendicular to said mouth piece wall and consists of at least a tool having a plurality of teeth for contact with said surface to be cleaned.

3. A suction nozzle for use in connection with a suction device for cleaning a floor, fabric and like surface; comprising a first member having a bottom face adapted to engage said surface to be cleaned, said bottom face being provided with a recess forming a suction chamber, guide means on said first member, said guide means being curved about a center of curvature and terminating in spaced lips, a passageway in communication with said suction chamber, a second member having first and second ends, said first end being adapted for connection with said suction device, said second end including a mouth piece having a wall portion encompassed by said guide means of said first member, and an agitating element connected to said mouth piece wall portion and reaching into said suction chamber, said second member being movable about said center of curvature between a first position and a second position, said passageway being defined by a stationary wall formed by one of said lips and by a movable wall formed by said element, said element being located, when said second member is in said first position, in abutment with the other of said lips, and being movable toward said one lip and downwardly to assume said second position, in which said element contacts said surface to be cleaned, and narrows the passageway between said one lip and said element, thereby increasing the suction effect in said passageway in said second position.

4. A suction nozzle for use in connection with a suction device for cleaning a floor, fabric and like surface;

comprising a first member having a bottom face adapted to engage said surface to be cleaned, said bottom face being provided with a recess forming a suction chamber, guide means on said first member, said guide means being curved about a common center of curvature and terminating in spaced lips in communication with said suction chamber, said first member including a top portion providing spaced walls, each of said spaced walls being formed with a bearing seat curved about said common center of curvature, a second member having first and second ends, said first end being adapted for connection with said suction device, said second end forming a mouth piece having a wall portion encompassed by said guide means of said first member, said mouth piece being provided with two rotatable support mem bers seated respectively in said curved bearing seats, and a tool element connected to said mouth piece wall and extending into said suction chamber, said mouth piece and support members therefor being movable about said common center of curvature between a first position and a second position, said passageway being defined by a stationary wall formed by one of said lips and by a movable wall formed by said element, said element being located, when said mouth piece and support members therefor are in said first position in abutment with said other of said lips, and being movable toward said one lip and downwardly to assume said second position, in which said element contacts said surface to be cleaned and thereby narrows said passageway between said one lip and said element, thereby increasing the suction effect in said passageway in said second position of said element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNXTED STATES PATENTS 1,860,854 Engberg et al. May 31, 1932 2,029,668 McCardle Feb. 4, 1936 2,035,688 Brock Mar. 31, 1936 2,314,081 Dow et al. Mar. 16, 1943 2,325,739 Brock Aug. 3, 1943 2,500,977 Beede Mar. 21, 1950 

